Speech Delay or Speech Disorder?

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Speech Disorder

How Do I Know if My Child Has a Speech Disorder, or if it’s a Simple Language Delay?

So you think your child’s speech and language development may be coming in a little slow?  Those cute babbles have yet to turn into clear words, as she is about to enter pre-school. But, how do you know it’s a speech disorder, rather than a simple speech delay? And, if indeed it is a speech disorder, what does that mean? Will my child be able to communicate effectively, will she be able to read, participate in class and most importantly, gain self-confidence?  These are just some of the questions parents face as their child begins to learn speech patterns and language skills as a toddler.

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Tools for Speech Therapy: 5 Fabulous Apps for Kids

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Speech Therapy Apps

Get your iPads ready! Games, puzzles, stories on the go?  Speech Therapy is no longer one size fits all. Recent innovations in technology provide many valuable tools for speech therapy. Apps, iPad games and gadgets offer opportunities for learning at every level of speech therapy and often help make the therapy fun. Of course, apps should not be viewed as a replacement for a comprehensive speech therapy plan, and you should always seek to contact your SLP if you are planning to use applications, games and gadgets in conjunction with your therapy sessions.

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What Everyone Needs to Know About Articulation Disorders

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What is an Articulation Disorder?

What is an Articulation Disorder?

This week, we are taking a fresh and in-depth look at articulation disorders in children, including trying to decipher what is fact, fiction and frankly what you need to know about articulation disorders in relation to normal speech development milestones.

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Super Low Cost Speech Therapy Tips and Tricks!

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Activities such as blowing bubbles are excellent low cost speech therapy activities that you can do at home!

Activities such as blowing bubbles are excellent low cost speech therapy activities that you can do at home!

Speech and language disorders affect children of all races and social-economic groups. If left untreated, speech disorders can affect a child’s ability to interact and communicate with others. Parents are constantly searching for low cost speech therapy tools and ideas. But where do you begin? The Internet is jam-packed with tools, gadgets, whistles and websites that can be confusing and misleading for parents. We have narrowed down a few low cost speech therapy ideas for you to try. Of course, we always recommend that you check in with your pediatrician or licensed speech therapist first before taking on any therapies on your own.

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Is Delayed Speech More Common in Boys Than Girls?

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Are Boys Speech Delayed More Often Than Girls?Image courtesy of Flickr.com

Is Delayed Speech More Common in Boys Than Girls? Image courtesy of Flickr.com

Ahh, the weekly playgroup! Another situation where you realize that every single toddler in the room seems to be speaking in clear sentences except for your son? Of course, the reasoning side of your brain is telling you NOT to compare your child to others, but the emotional side tells you that it’s hard not to compare when you are witnessing it for yourself. Is my son’s delayed speech normal? Like everything else child-development related, children learn at different rates. Your child may be swinging a golf club like Tiger Woods, or he can do triple flips on the trampoline, but he still cannot speak in complete and clear sentences. It’s okay. There is real research that indicates many boys start talking later than girls.

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